Two views on taxation

Your article on Mitt Romney’s taxes, which was reprinted from The Washington Post, should be examined in more than one way. The story cleary insinuated that Romney should be paying a higher tax rate, therefore pay more taxes. No mention was made about the fact
As Americans, we must decide between two opposing beliefs. One side believes people should be able to keep most of money they earn. The other side believes in Karl Marx’s famous statement, “From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.” The argument is: Do we want Marx-style socialism or to continue a free enterprise system?

Stephen H. Cohn, Northglenn

This letter was published in the Sept. 30 edition.

For information on how to send a letter to the editor, click here. Follow DPLetters on Twitter to receive updates about new letters to the editor when they’re posted.

“The other side believes in Karl Marx’s famous statement, “From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.” The argument is: Do we want Marx-style socialism or to continue a free enterprise system?”
—————–
One side says “I have extra of something you need; here, I’ll give it to you.”

The other side says “You have something I need or want more of; I can take it from you. (A variation of that is “You have something that someone else needs or can use; I’l take it fom you and give it them.’)

Guess what “ideoogy” the Democrats like the best?

Guess what “ideology” funds the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, the Rescue Missions, and various other Charities?

SteveCO

Robt, you’re so cute when you’re channeling Mittless, the financial liar.
It’s called tax evasion. It’s a crime. Romney will go from candidate to defendant, what fun that’ll be!

Anonymous

I’m not crazy about the wealthiest being legally able to pay less in taxes than lower and middle classes – but I’m not jumping to the conclusion that Mitt (for example) is doing it illegally.

Anonymous

All Democrats are Marxists, LOL

SteveCO

All Republicans are fascists. LOL.
More money for the billionaires, and screw the middle class.

irisman

Only the GOP bigwigs are Fascists. The rank and file Republicans are sheep leading themselves to slaughter.

RabidRadical

Isn’t it bizarre, how a group can actually, with great regularity, vote against their own self-interest.

Anonymous

Hmmm. Romney pays the legally required rate and everyone is in a tizzy. If you want him to pay more, then Congress needs to change the law. oh wait, we tried a higher tax rate on long term capital gains, and guess what? Investment came to a screeching halt. Ugh.

Anonymous

I love the party line! Perhaps Suvkix is unaware that when the highest marginal tax rate was at about 90% (that started to – gasp – FUND the US entry in WWII – and stayed that way through the EISENHOWER administration), funding in US businesses was at its highest – and the middle class (both blue collar and white collar) was growing by leaps and bounds. Interestingly, there was more of a return on investment to invest in the US. After the Reagan administration’s “double whammy” – tax breaks for the wealthiest AND tax breaks for businesses which offshore jobs (another “temporary” tax break that over the DECADES has become permanent), the middle class has suffered – while the wealthiest among us have increased their share of the wealth to over 90% (then WHINE about paying 60-70% of the taxes). Along comes GWB who starts not one but TWO “wars of choice” – on top of tax breaks and no draft (after all – why should the wealthy run the risk of losing a child when we have so much cannon fodder in the lower classes).

By the way – thanks to those breaks, investment in foreign countries has never been better – but don’t let them con you into believing they’ll move if they suddenly have to pay their share. First, if they are business for the power as well as the money, the US is the place to be – even 3rd world countries as well as those which are more developed have “caps” on how much (including perks) upper management can make in relation to the work force – the US has no such caps. While the US has among the highest nominal marginal tax rates for businesses (it bounces between the US and Japan as to which is higher), in other countries, there are no loopholes – so the marginal rates are actually paid by both individuals AND businesses. Many of those few countries which one could escape to with their untaxed money have the nasty habit of “nationalizing” things. In addition – most other countries actually FINE businesses (or charge them EXTRA taxes) when they try to offshore jobs – somehow even those developing countries have figured out that keeping their own citizens and legal residents employed is better for the country than all that so-called cheap labor overseas!

Anonymous

Interesting concept. Pay more to the government, and the better off we will be. Reagan growth years after tax reduction disagrees with your opinion.

RabidRadical

Yup, right up until they led to tax hikes. He reduced taxes in ’81 by about $38B (in today’s dollars, that would be about $90B); but then, in ’82, raised taxes by about $17B, representing about .8% of GDP and earning the moniker as the highest peace-time tax hike. In 1983, he increased payroll taxes. He also increased taxes through the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, the Tax Reform of 1986 and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. So, I’m not too sure why you think Reagan lowered taxes.

DennisM

Right on RR. We should also note that since WWII, tax rates during Democratic administrations have been lower than during Republican administrations. It is a myth that Republicans are the party of lower taxes.

Anonymous

Spot on!
The 1950s and into the 1960s, corporate and top personal tax rates were higher than they are now, the ratio between CEO pay and rank-and-file worker pay was much lower, and both the upper class and the middle class prospered.
Ever since Nixon, the wealth disparity has gotten worse, and it’s accelerating. More and more wealth is pouring into the hands of fewer and fewer people.
But, pointing all that out gets one called Marxist and redistributionist.

” The researchers also said that the correlation between economic growth and the top tax rates “is not strong,” and that any links “could be coincidental or spurious because of changes to the U.S. economy over the past 65 years.”

Maybe Steve Cohn’s letter is a parody. Surely he can’t really believe that the only choices we have are huge tax advantages for the wealthy, or communism. What if the rich pay the same tax rates they did during the Clinton administration? Nobody was complaining about communism then. My wife and I are living on our pension and savings, and we’re paying a higher tax rate than Romney. In our opinion, guys like Romney who export jobs and then export their profits are the REAL moochers and freeloaders.

Rob

Pull out your tax returns from last year. Divide the amount you paid in taxes with your total income for the year. I’ll bet it’s much lower than 14.1%.

irisman

Rob, you’re dead wrong. We have a good pension and adequate savings, but our overall federal tax rate is close to 16% and we pay state income tax on top of that. As I said we’re unhappy about subsidizing people like Romney.

Rob

Romney’s tax rate was over 21% plus he also pays state tax. And since he paid over 3 million in federal taxes, I think he is subsidizing a heck of a lot more people than you are.

Anonymous

Romney himself has said he pays 14%

Rob

Of his total income, which is different then his taxable income.

Anonymous

How do you know that irisman’s 18% isn’t 18% of his total income?

irisman

PS I didn’t say that without looking up my tax return first.

Rob

Total income or taxable income?

RabidRadical

I so wish it were so. Even with my mortgage interest deduction, my actual rate is around 22%.

Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

Recent Comments

peterpi: I think I have this correct: Voters in Jefferson County elected school board members that the superintendent...

peterpi: Sounds good to me. For future employees. I believe police and fire dept. brass have also been known to get...